Topical Fat Reduction

The fat on women's thighs is more difficult to mobilize due to increased α-2 adrenergic receptor activity induced by estrogen. Lipolysis can be initiated through adipocyte receptor stimulation (β adrenergic) or inhibition (adenosine or α-2 adrenergic) or by inhibition of phosphodiesterase. Since many women desire regional thigh fat loss, a series of clinical trials were initiated using one thigh as a double-blinded control. Trial #1: Five overweight women had injections of isoproterenol at intervals around the thigh three times a week for 4 weeks with diet and walking. Trial #2: Five overweight woman had ointment containing forskolin, yohimbine and aminophylline applied to the thigh five times a week for 4 weeks after hypertonic warm soaks with a diet and walking. Trial #3: Eighteen overweight women were divided into three groups of six and trial #2 was repeated with each agent alone vs. placebo using forskolin, yohimbine or aminophylline in separate ointments. Trial #4: Thirty overweight women had 10% aminophylline ointment applied to the thigh five times a week for 6 weeks with diet and walking. Chemistry panel, theophylline level and patch testing wereperformed. Trial#5: Twelve women had trial #4 repeated with 2% aminophylline cream without a diet or walking. Trial #6: Trial #5 was repeated with 0.5% aminophylline cream. All trials except yohimbine ointment gave significantly more girth loss from the treated thigh (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Chemistry panel showed no toxicity. Theophylline was undetectable and patch testing was negative. We conclude that topical fat reduction for women's thighs can be achieved without diet or exercise.     

Current methods for the maturation of induced pluripotent stem cellderived cardiomyocytes

Induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs) were first generated by Yamanaka and colleagues over a decade ago. Since then, iPSCs have been successfully differentiated into many distinct cell types, enabling tissue-, disease-, and patientspecific in vitro modelling. Cardiovascular disease is the greatest cause of mortality worldwide but encompasses rarer disorders of conduction and myocardial function for which a cellular model of study is ideal. Although methods to differentiate iPSCs into beating cardiomyocytes(iPSC-CMs) have recently been adequately optimized and commercialized, the resulting cells remain largely immature with regards to their structure and function,demonstrating fetal gene expression, disorganized morphology, reliance on predominantly glycolytic metabolism and contractile characteristics that differ from those of adult cardiomyocytes. As such, disease modelling using iPSC-CMs may be inaccurate and of limited utility. However, this limitation is widely recognized, and numerous groups have made substantial progress in addressing this problem. This review highlights successful methods that have been developed for the maturation of human iPSC-CMs using small molecules,environmental manipulation and 3-dimensional(3 D) growth approaches.     

Circulating microRNAs have a sex-specific association with metabolic syndrome

Background

The microRNAs let-7 g and miR-221 have been demonstrated to be related to the glucose metabolism. This study assessed the serum levels of these two microRNAs in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Results

The serum microRNA levels were detected in 102 subjects aged 40 to 80 years who were recruited from the general population. The status of MetS was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria modified for Asians. Subjects with histories of cardiovascular diseases or who were receiving treatment with hypoglycemic or lipid-lowering agents were excluded. The levels of both circulating microRNAs (let-7 g and miR-221) were higher in subjects with MetS (p = 0.004 and p = 0.01, respectively). The sex-specific analysis showed that the difference was more prominent in women (for both miRNAs, p < 0.05 in women and p > 0.1 in men). In the female subjects, increased expression of both microRNAs was associated with an increased number of MetS risk components (p = 0.002 for let-7 g and p = 0.022 for miR-221). Moreover, the elevation of serum let-7 g was significantly associated with a low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.022) and high blood pressure (p = 0.023). In contrast, the miR-221 level was not associated with any individual MetS risk component.

Conclusions

The circulating levels of let-7 g and miR-221 displayed a female-specific elevation in individuals with metabolic syndrome.     

Divergent roles of murine neutrophil chemokines in hemorrhage induced priming for acute lung injury

Neutrophil associated lung injury is identified with a variety of local and systemic priming insults. In vitro studies have shown that TNF-alpha mediated suppression of neutrophil apoptosis is due to the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a human chemokine shown to alter neutrophil chemotaxis. Our initial in vitro antibody neutralization studies with neutrophil chemotactic proteins, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2alpha (MIP-2alpha), mouse IL-8 homologues, indicate that MIP-2alpha but not KC appears to mediate TNF-alpha suppression of mouse neutrophil apoptosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that in vivo neutralization of KC or MIP-2alpha during an initial priming insult would produce differential effects on the extent of lung injury by restoring normal neutrophil apoptotic function. To assess this, mice were hemorrhaged followed with septic challenge at 24 h. Antibody against KC or MIP-2alpha or a nonspecific IgG was given during resuscitation immediately following hemorrhage. Anti-MIP-2alpha treatment resulted in a significant reduction in lung tissue IL-6 and myeloperoxidase levels. Percentage of neutrophil apoptosis increased significantly in the anti-KC group. Tissue and plasma KC and MIP-2alpha were reduced in their respective treatment groups. These data suggest that KC and MIP-2alpha differ in their mediation of neutrophil function (apoptosis and chemotaxis) and contribution to the pathogenesis of lung injury following hemorrhage subsequent to sepsis.     

The effect of membrane-bound beta-lactamase on linoleic acid sensitivity in Staphylococcus aureus

The presence of a plasmid conferring resistance to penicillin (PC plasmid, e.g. pI258blaI-) in Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325 increases the sensitivity of such a bacterium to the growth inhibitory effects of linoleic acid, whereas a plasmid conferring resistance to tetracycline does not affect linoleic acid sensitivity. The increased linoleic acid sensitivity of bacteria containing a PC plasmid may be related to the penicillinase protein itself since (i) strains having inducible penicillinase show increased sensitivity only after induction, (ii) strains in which penicillinase is directed from chromosomal or plasmid-borne genes show similar increased linoleic acid sensitivity and (iii) notwithstanding the above, the linoleic acid inhibitory effect is enhanced in a strain in which penicillinase activity is greatly reduced by a point mutation in the structural gene for penicillinase. The enhanced linoleic acid sensitivity seems to require the membrane-bound penicillinase since added extracellular penicillinase does not confer this sensitivity, and there appears to be a specific interaction between the membrane-bound penicillinase activity and linoleic acid.     

Variation in ovule and seed size and associated size-number trade-offs in angiosperms

Unlike pollen and seed size, the extent and causes of variation in ovule size remain unexplored. Based on 45 angiosperm species, we assessed whether intra- and interspecific variation in ovule size is consistent with cost minimization during ovule production or allows maternal plants to dominate conflict with their seeds concerning resource investment. Despite considerable intraspecific variation in ovule volume (mean CV = 0.356), ovule production by few species was subject to a size-number trade-off. Among the sampled species, ovule volume varied two orders of magnitude, whereas seed volume varied four orders of magnitude. Ovule volume varied positively among species with flower mass and negatively with ovule number. Tenuinucellate ovules were generally larger that crassinucellate ovules, and species with apical placentation (which mostly have uniovulate ovaries) had smaller ovules than those with other placentation types. Seed volume varied positively among species with fruit mass and seed development time, but negatively with seed number. Seeds grew a median 93-fold larger than the ovules from which they originated. Our results provide equivocal evidence that selection minimizes ovule size to allow efficient resource allocation after fertilization, but stronger evidence that ovule size affords maternal plants an advantage in parent-offspring conflict.     

Blood pressure and heart rate effects, weight loss and maintenance during long-term phentermine pharmacotherapy for obesity

There is a perception that phentermine pharmacotherapy for obesity increases blood pressure and heart rate (HR), exposing treated patients to increased cardiovascular risk. We collected data from phentermine‐treated (PT) and phentermine‐untreated (P0) patients at a private weight management practice, to examine blood pressure, HR, and weight changes. Records of 300 sequential returning patients were selected who had been treated with a low‐carbohydrate ketogenic diet if their records included complete weight, blood pressure, and HR data from seven office examinations during the first 12 weeks of therapy. The mean time in therapy, time range, and mode was 92 (97.0), 12–624, and 52 weeks. 14% were normotensive, 52% were prehypertensive, and 34% were hypertensive at their first visit or had a previous diagnosis of hypertension. PT subjects systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) declined from baseline at all data points (SBP/DBP ?6.9/?5.0 mm Hg at 26, and ?7.3/?5.4 at 52 weeks). P0 subjects' declines of SBP/DBP at both 26 and 52 weeks were ?8.9/?6.3 but the difference from the treated cohort was not significant. HR changes in treated/untreated subjects at weeks 26 (?0.9/?3.5) and 52 (+1.2/?3.6) were not significant. Weight loss was significantly greater in the PT cohort for week 1 through 104 (P = 0.0144). These data suggest phentermine treatment for obesity does not result in increased SBP, DBP, or HR, and that weight loss assisted with phentermine treatment is associated with favorable shifts in categorical blood pressure and retardation of progression to hypertension in obese patients.     

Einige Bemerkungen zu einer internationalen Nomenklatur derPhytophthora-Rassen und der diePhytophthora-Widerstandsfähigkeit kontrollierenden Gene der Kartoffel

Zusammenfassung Die Entstehung und das Verhalten von 10 in den Jahren 1950–1953 in Groß-Lüsewitz aufgefundenenPhytophthora-Rassen wird dargestellt. Es wird gezeigt, daß durch die Einführung des neuen Resistenzgens R₀ 9 dieser Rassen in das erweiterte Schema der internationalen Nomenklatur eingeordnet werden können. Ob und wie die zehnte Rasse oo ebenfalls in das internationale Schema eingeordnet werden kann, muß durch weitere Prüfungen festgestellt werden.     

Elite young soccer players have smaller inter-limb asymmetry and better body composition than non-elite players

Body composition (BC) and inter-limb anthropometric asymmetries (LA) may influence the physical performance of soccer players. This study aimed to determine differences in BC and LA among soccer across four performance levels. The study involved 110 male soccer players participating in Czech senior teams who were grouped into four different performance levels (i.e. G1: national team, G2: 1^st division, G3: 2^nd division, G4: 3^rd division). The following BC and LA parameters were compared among groups: body height, body mass, absolute fat-free mass, relative fat-free mass (FFMrel), percentage of fat mass (FM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW), phase angle, and bilateral muscle mass differences in the upper and lower extremities. Significant differences were observed in BC parameters among all groups (λ = 0.06, F75,246 = 5.38, p = 0.01, η_p² = 0.62). High-performance players (i.e. G1, G2) had significantly (p < 0.01) lower FM than lower performance players (i.e. G3, G4). The lowest values of FFMrel, relative TBW, relative ICW and ECW were detected in the lowest-performance players (i.e. G4). Significantly lower bilateral muscle mass differences were detected in G1 players (2.71 ± 1.26%; p < 0.01) compared with G4 players (3.95 ± 1.17%). G1 and G2 players had a higher proportion of muscle mass in the torso (p < 0.01) and upper limbs than G3 and G4 (p < 0.01). Elite and high-performance players have better BC and lower inter-limb anthropometric asymmetries compared with low-performance level players.